Creative Aging Program Manager
Senior Living Residences · Brookline, MA ·
- Seniority
- Intern
- Employment
- Internship
- Category
- Project management
- Experience
- 3+ years
Creative Aging Program Manager
Goddard House | Brookline, Massachusetts
Position Summary
Founded in 1849, Goddard House is one of the nation’s oldest nonprofit organizations dedicated to serving older adults. Our mission is to embrace the aging experience for seniors living in the Boston area by operating a high- quality assisted living community and by creating innovative programs that support our need for purposeful engagement, autonomy, and choice as we age.
Goddard House operates under two strategic directions:
- The continued high-quality operation of Goddard House, an innovative assisted living and memory care community with 114 units in Brookline, MA, which has a long history of providing creative and enriching experiences for our residents.
- The growth of Creative Aging Connections (CAC), a Goddard House initiative, that develops and supports creative aging programs and partnerships that engage under-resourced older adults throughout Boston. Through visual arts, music, dance, storytelling, and other forms of creative expression, CAC fosters creativity, social connection, and well-being through programs led by professional teaching artists and enriched by student interns.
The Creative Aging Program Manager position is a full-time, exempt, in-person role based in Brookline, Massachusetts. The position reports to the Director of Community Partnerships & Creative Aging and supports CAC’s programs and events, primarily held in Boston-area elder housing communities.
This position is ideal for someone passionate about the arts, aging, community engagement, and creating meaningful opportunities for older adults. The successful candidate will be highly organized and relationship-oriented, equally comfortable coordinating logistics, supporting community partnerships, and helping bring creative programs to life. The Program Manager plays a central role in translating Creative Aging Connections strategic goals into engaging, well-organized programs that enrich the lives of older adults throughout Boston.
Essential Duties Responsibilities
The Creative Aging Program Manager is responsible for the day-to-day coordination, implementation, and continuous improvement of Creative Aging Connections programs and partnerships, while supporting their continued growth. Working collaboratively with teaching artists, interns, volunteers, staff and community partners, the position helps ensure high-quality program delivery while advancing CAC’s mission of fostering creativity, connection and well-being among older adults. Responsibilities are organized into three primary areas:
Program Operations and Community Partnerships (40–50%)
- Manage program schedules, logistics, materials, and site operations.
- Serve as the primary day-to-day contact for partner sites and teaching artists.
- Maintain ongoing communications with partner sites regarding schedules, logistics, and program needs.
- Coordinate implementation of partnership agreements and help ensure fulfillment of partnership commitments.
- Support program implementation and troubleshoot operational challenges.
- Monitor and support consistent, high-quality program delivery across multiple community sites.
- Manage and maintain program calendars, materials, supplies, and site readiness.
- Recommend operational improvements that enhance participant experience and program effectiveness.
Intern, Volunteer and Teaching Artist Development (30–35%)
- Recruit, onboard and support interns and volunteers.
- Coordinate intern and volunteer placements, schedules, and communications.
- Maintain internship and volunteer systems and records.
- Assist with recruitment, onboarding, scheduling and supporting teaching artists.
- Manage teaching artist schedules and coordinate communications, and program support.
- Assist with orientation and ongoing support for teaching artists, interns, and volunteers.
- Help create a positive, welcoming, and engaging experience for program participants, volunteers, and teaching artists.
Communications, Events, and Program Impact (20-25%)
- Plan and manage exhibitions, performances, celebrations, and special events.
- Maintain participation, evaluation, and outcome records.
- Collect attendance data, participant outcomes, stories, photographs, testimonials, and other documentation for organizational marketing and communications.
- Develop newsletters, flyers, digital content, and promotional materials.
- Develop and coordinate communications that promote programs and highlight participant impact.
- Develop and prepare stories, photographs, data, and supporting materials for grant proposals, donor stewardship, newsletters, presentations, and organizational communications.
- Support the Director of Community Partnerships & Creative Aging and Development staff by preparing materials and information needed for fundraising, donor stewardship, grant reporting, and related communications.
Qualifications
Required Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field or equivalent combination of education, training, and experience
- 3+ years of experience in program coordination, project management, community engagement, volunteer management, arts administration, nonprofit administration or related field
- Experience supervising interns or volunteers
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including strong editing, proofreading, presentation and storytelling abilities
- Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills, with the ability to effectively communicate with a variety of diverse stakeholders, such as older adults, teaching artists, interns, volunteers, and community partners.
- Strong proficiency with Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, and Calendar) and Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
- Highly organized, detail-oriented, adaptable, and able to manage multiple priorities with professionalism and attention to detail.
- Demonstrated project management skills and the ability to balance multiple projects, programs, and deadlines.
- Ability to exercise discretion and apply good judgment in making decisions, work independently and as part of a team.
- Must have a valid driver’s license, reliable transportation and the ability to travel regularly between program sites throughout Boston neighborhoods. Frequent local travel (approximately 50-75% of the work week) is an essential function of this position.
- Physical ability to lift and transport supplies and equipment and move tables and other furniture weighing up to 30 pounds; assist with program setup and implementation; and support older adult participants as needed with appropriate staff assistance.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Passion and experience working with older adults and/or arts-based programming.
- Experience working with teaching artists, volunteers, interns, educational partnerships, or arts-based programming
- Culturally competent with experience and comfort delivering services to multiracial, multicultural, multilingual populations.
- Experience researching, analyzing, compiling, and summarizing information and data.
- Experience supporting grant-funded programs, fundraising activities, donor communications, or nonprofit development efforts.
- Knowledge of Bloomerang, DonorPerfect, Raiser’s Edge or similar databases
- Multilingual language skills (particularly Spanish and/or Chinese)
Compensation
Starting Salary of $70,000-$80,000 annually, commensurate with experience
About Goddard House
Goddard House is a nonprofit organization with more than 175 years of service to older adults in the Greater Boston community. Located in Brookline, Massachusetts, Goddard House operates an innovative assisted living and memory care community with 115 residences, including 17 affordable units. Goddard House is known for providing high-quality care and creative, enriching experiences that support purpose, autonomy, and engagement for residents.
In addition to its residential community, Goddard House leads Creative Aging Connections, an initiative that sponsors and develops creative engagement programs and partnerships designed to expand access to creative aging opportunities across the region. Through these efforts, Creative Aging Connections engages more than 1,500 under-resourced older adults annually throughout the Greater Boston community, helping to reduce isolation and promote connection, wellbeing, and lifelong creativity.
Together, these initiatives reflect Goddard House’s commitment to compassionate care, innovation in aging services, and expanding opportunities for meaningful engagement as people grow older.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging
Goddard House is committed to nurturing a diverse, inclusive, and equitable environment where older adults, employees, families, and leadership are respected, valued, empowered, and feel a strong sense of belonging. Through compassion, innovation, collaboration, and curiosity, we deliver high-quality care, meaningful programs, and a supportive culture that upholds dignity and engagement for all.
Equal Opportunity Employer
Goddard House is committed to providing equal employment opportunity to all Associates and applicants for employment without unlawful regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, age, national origin or ancestry, service in any branch of the military, disability, genetic information or the result of genetic testing, or any other characteristic or classification protected by state, federal, or local law. In addition, The Community complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment.
This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment including, but not limited to, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, re-hire, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training. The Community believes that providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment of any kind is essential to each Associate’s ability to contribute and succeed.
This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment including, but not limited to, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, re-hire, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training. The Community believes that providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment of any kind is essential to each Associate’s ability to contribute and succeed.